As many of you know – exactly a month ago my family lost a furry, four-legged member of their family. Ginger had been a part of our family for a very long time! We adopted her when I was a junior in high school, after my black lab, Shadow, died. She was a rescue dog – having been owned by someone who kept her in a pen with a bunch of other dogs who were trained to be aggressive. She rarely got to eat because of the other dogs and obviously, she had some trust issues, particularly with men, the day we brought her home. But she warmed up quickly when she realized she was safe and protected. There wasn’t a person who met her didn’t love her. She was gentle, sweet, and loving. She thoroughly enjoyed pretzels and running circles around you as you walked. She was a good little dog and I know my family misses her greatly, as do I.

I knew my parents would eventually get another dog. I just don’t think I realized how quickly they’d add a new dog to the mix. A little over a week ago – my parents brought home a new four-legged friend. A Shorkie puppy, which is a shitzu-yorkie mix. My parents have never had a puppy, always rescuing older dogs. So this is a fun new experience for them. And boy! Is he a cute little guy!

I told my mom I absolutely had to take pictures of him. First of all, because PUPPY! (it was a great excuse for me to get to steal him away and play with him for a little bit.) And secondly because I wanted to share this adorable little furball with all of you! As a puppy, he wasn’t too keen on sitting still for very long, but we managed to get a few shots of him sitting pretty before he scampered off to sniff out every corner of the room.

I think it’s easy to get excited about the cuteness of a puppy but it’s also easy to forget how much work they are. Right now my parents are working diligently to potty train him and he’s getting much better about understanding the word “no” and figuring out what he can and can’t chew on. He’s a spunky little guy! He loves bouncing around, springing off all four feet at once. And he really likes to cuddle in a lap or to be held. He always wants to be close to people. I can tell he’s going to be a good little dog, especially once he gets all trained up.

So world… meet Rocky, the newest addition to the Pezzelle family!